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Wu du (1978)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
12 August 1978 (Hong Kong)
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Tagline:
Pick Your Poison! more
Plot:
A dying teacher instructs his final student to check on the activities of five former pupils, each of...
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| full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Kung Fu
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Mask
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Martial Arts
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Kung Fu Master
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Judge
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
The One Armed Swordsman remake and other news
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 13 May 2009, 4:48 AM, PDT)
The One Armed Swordsman remake and other news
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 13 May 2009, 4:48 AM, PDT)
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 13 May 2009, 4:48 AM, PDT)
The One Armed Swordsman remake and other news
(From 24FramesPerSecond. 13 May 2009, 4:48 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
Hidden Treasure
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Cast
(Credited cast)| Sheng Chiang | ... | Yang Tieh | |
| Philip Kwok | ... | He Yuan-xin, Gecko / Lizard (as Kuo Chui) | |
| Feng Lu | ... | Zhang Yiao-tian, Centipede | |
| Pai Wei | ... | Qi Dong, Snake | |
| Chien Sun | ... | Ma Chow, Scorpion | |
| Meng Lo | ... | Liang Shen, Toad | |
| Lung Wei Wang | ... | Judge | |
| Feng Ku | ... | Yuen | |
| Shu Pei Sun | |||
| Liu Huang Shih | |||
| Lao Shen | |||
| Hui Huang Lin | |||
| Ching Ho Wang | |||
| Han Chen Wang | |||
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Szu-ying Chien | |||
| Fai Wong Lam | |||
| Tung Ting | |||
| Dick Wei | ... | Master (as Tu Lung) | |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Five Venoms (International: English title) (UK) (video title)
Five Deadly Venoms (USA)
Ng duk (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
The Five Deadly Venoms (USA) (dubbed version)
The Five Venoms (Hong Kong: English title) (original subtitled version)
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Five Deadly Venoms (USA)
Ng duk (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
The Five Deadly Venoms (USA) (dubbed version)
The Five Venoms (Hong Kong: English title) (original subtitled version)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
Hong Kong:97 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Finland:K-15 |
Canada:14A (Ontario) (re-rated 2009) |
Canada:18A (Ontario) (re-rated 2005) |
Canada:R (Ontario) (1979) |
UK:18 |
USA:R |
Hong Kong:IIB
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The "snake" role was originally intended for a woman.
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Goofs:
Miscellaneous: Near the end where Lizard, Scorpion and the last pupil confront Snake and Centipede at the Snake's home, Lizard addresses Centipede as, "Number 5." The Centipede was actually "Number 1," and was referred to as such throughout the rest of the movie. The Toad was "Number 5," and was referred to as such throughout the rest of the movie. This is undoubtedly an error in the English dubbing, not in the original Chinese dialogue.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Cinema Hong Kong: Kung Fu (2003) (TV)
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FAQ
Why is there a spider on the cover of the Celestial Pictures DVD? There is no "spider venom" in this movie.What are the kung-fu specialty gimmicks used in this movie?
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more (35 total)
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Most 70s (and 80s) Kong Kong martial arts films barely function as movies; usually there are a few well-planned fight sequences, but the plot is scraped pretty thin to fill in the gaps between those nodes -- like porno films, really.
But this one does several things well. Most overtly, there is the direction and choreography, which confines each combatant to a 'style' -- it's really based on Chinese circus acrobatics and comedic theater, but the effect works.
Second, there is the language of the camera, which uses some impressive techniques(even by today's measure), changing projection speeds from real time time to slow motion, and from unfiltered to filtered views to depict story direction toward the past or toward the future.
Least overt, but most powerful and unexpected, is the construction. The winner of this contest is determined by who 'unfolds' the story. The master (the writer) sets up a game where the lead character doesn't know who he's seeking, which is the same situation we viewers find ourselves in. One by one, he figures out who is who, at the same rate we find out who is who. It all follows a tragedy/noir arc. The ending tends toward irony, a la "The Sting". Much more clever stuff than what we usually get out of this genre.
The 'five venoms' idea is the template for Tarantino's 'deadly viper assassins' from the "Kill Bill" volumes.